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CONCERNED: The Eastern Police District believes it is strange that the bridge club chose to host a game night at a time when there is a confusing infection situation in Askim. Photo: Odin Jæger
Former Askim mayor Hans Jakobsen says he finds it “very unreasonable” that he and the other participants in the party are sentenced.
On Friday evening, 26 of the members of the Askim bridge club gathered in the party halls of Gilje.
When the party came to an end at 01:00, the police arrived who thought the event was private and therefore illegal under the Infection Control Act. It was the Smaalenenes newspaper that first reported on the case.
The operations manager in the eastern police district, Terje Marstad, tells VG that all participants have been reported. The fine for this type of violation of the Infection Control Law is in the municipality of Indre Østfold of 20,000 crowns.
– There are cases on which they were present. The event appeared to be privately run. Based on the impression we had when we got there, the infection control rules were not upheld.
– What infection control measures were not maintained?
– It goes from a distance and that the participants moved between the tables when they went to play bridge, says Marstad.
He adds:
– The concern is great when it comes to whether this is a necessary meeting in these times. We have a hard time understanding why such a meeting is being held, especially considering the degree of poisoning at the site.
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SURPRISED WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVE: Former Conservative Askim Mayor Hans Jakobsen believes infection control rules were followed. Photo: Mattis Sandblad
– Very surprised when the police arrived.
Former Conservative Mayor of Askim Hans Jakobsen was one of the participants in the event.
He tells VG that he was very surprised when the police showed up.
– Bridgeklubben has its own event manager who clarified that it was a public event under the auspices of the Askim company lunch. And when it is a public event, we are allowed to have up to 50 pieces, he tells VG.
Jakobsen says the agreement was that the event would last until 1:00 a.m. and that several people, including himself, were leaving the room when police arrived.
The former mayor also believes that infection control regulations were met.
– We sat a good distance from each other at the tables, spread our hands and had professional waiters with plate plates.
Furthermore, it says that most of the men sat at the tables, except when bridge was played at two of the tables in the room.
– But then the rest of us sat in our original seats a good distance away.
– Related to current rules
So far, Jakobsen has not been in direct contact with the police, but says the bridge club “must do something” if they are found guilty of violating the Infection Control Act.
– It would seem very unreasonable to me, he tells VG.
– If so, how will you react?
– In that case, we should discuss what we want to do internally in the club, says Jakobsen.
– The police say they question whether this is a necessary meeting at a time with a high degree of contagion, also in Østfold. what do you think about it?
– We comply with the rules that govern at all times. In the spring, when the rules were even stricter, we canceled our meetings.
He adds:
– This company was organized by the Askim food company that cares about not exceeding the norms.
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– Not these collections that concern us
Public events of up to 50 people are allowed without fixed chairs as long as the venue is large enough.
Øystein Breivik at Askim Selskapsmat has not responded to VG’s inquiries, but Smaalenenes Avis is told that Askim Selskapsmat was the organizer of the event and that they had received approval from the municipality for 50 people to visit.
The municipal chief doctor of the municipality of Indre Østfold, Barbro Kvaal, told the local newspaper on Saturday that he would not be a “judge in this case”, but still knew that events like this can take place in Gilje as long as the infection control rules are adhered to. .
Investigating the case next week
Operations manager Marstad tells VG that the ongoing investigation will show whether the company in Gilje was authorized to be a public event and infection control rules were adhered to.
– Of course, everyone involved will have the opportunity to explain themselves.
– We have no idea how long it will take to investigate the case, but we hope that everything goes well and that we have done a lot during the next week, he concludes.
